UPDATE: APRIL 1 2022

According to KBJR the new campsite at Split Rock called Ship Wreck Creek Campground is finally ready to open June 1. It will contain 46 campsites all with electricity along with a shower building and hiking and biking trails nearby. Plus this is the first campsite in the area accessible by car. Reservations can start April 5.

ORIGINAL POST: MARCH 9 2021

The historic Split Rock Lighthouse near Beaver Bay on the shores of Lake Superior is adding it's first drive in camping option. Right now the only way to access the camp sites are by cart or to walk in. The new campground is tentatively planned to open in the Fall, with 46 sites with electric service and a modern shower and bathroom facility.

Park manager Katie Foshay said: "lots of people are looking for the drive-in sites." The project will also include a parking lot for hikers and mountain bikes to be able to access the Gitchi-Gami State Trail and some new mountain bike trails being constructed by Lake County next to the park.

Get our free mobile app

According to the Split Rock Lighthouse website:

The fog signal building and lighthouse were completed in 1909 and commissioned one year later. For 59 years, the keepers at Split Rock warned ships away from the rock and treacherous North Shore with its 370,000-candlepower beacon. In 1971, the federal government deeded the lighthouse station to the State of Minnesota to be operated as a historic site. In 1976, the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) assumed operation of the site which included one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.

On top of the breathtaking views on the rocky shore below there is so much to do with the hiking trails, fishing and tons of wildlife including a variety of birds, white tailed deer, bears, bobcats, lynx, moose racoons and more. Many people enjoy the park just for a day trip but with this additional access to camping many people will probably stay more than a day and set up camp.